9 Stunning Christmas Cactus Varieties to Look for This Season

Christmas cactus rises to houseplant glory this season in a spectacle of bright, billowy blooms and unique succulent, arching branches. Schlumbergera x buckleyi usually begins blooming in December and lasts through January. Its show-stopping red, white, pink, purple, and coral hues shine amongst its dark green backdrop. The succulents are long-lived, passed along from one generation to the next, and earn utmost bragging rights as the grande dames come into flower during the holidays.

It’s fascinating to think of the origins of the floriferous cacti. Native to coastal mountain rainforests of Brazil, they live like orchids as epiphytes on trees and in rock crevices. The tropical-type growers, adaptable by nature, do well as houseplants to delight our winters.

Here, we’ll explore Christmas cactus varieties for the collector, gifter, and houseplant enthusiast. In early December, look for specimens with lots of full, mostly unopened buds. These will bloom in time for the holidays and beyond.

About Holiday Cacti

The Christmas cactus is one of three holiday cacti. It joins the Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) and the Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) in blooming at its namesake holiday time. Thanksgiving cactus usually flowers in November, followed by S. x buckleyi in December, and Easter cactus in March through May.

Other than their bloom time, the cacti bear a close resemblance with some differences. Thanksgiving has more sharply pointed stem segments (cacti don’t have true leaves), whereas Christmas is more flat and smooth with rounded edges. Easter has rippled edges and hairy bristles at the segmented joints. 

Thanksgiving cactus was the first discovery in 1819, followed by Easter cactus in 1837. Christmas cactus is a hybrid of S. truncata and S. russelliana. French botanist Charles Lemaire developed the original and named it for French plant collector Frédéric Schlumberger. Most of the nearly 200 named cultivars result from hybrids of S. truncata and the early S. x buckleyi. 

Thanksgiving cultivars (the majority) and hybrids with Christmas cactus are the varieties we find commercially available in fall and winter. They have different coloration, growth habits, and segment shapes. Give them bright indirect light indoors and keep their soil slightly moist, but very well-drained.

Christmas Cactus

	common name Christmas Cactus
	botanical name Schlumbergera x buckleyi
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 10-12

S. x buckleyi, the sterile hybrid of true Christmas cactus, has blended petals in cherry red, pink, and silvery white. Medium-sized “leaves” (phylloclades) have scalloped, smooth edges. The tubular blooms have whitish throats and fuchsia-red flared petals recurve slightly (bend backward).

Their long throats hold double rings of petals, like feathery ornaments bobbing on stem ends in bright cerise. Straight stamens punctuate the centers. With age, the erect stems begin to droop for a gracefully arching form. 

The parent plants for buckleyi are S. truncata and S. russelliana. It blends the coloration of both with a December bloom time. This top bloomer is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient.

‘Christmas Flame’

	common name ‘Christmas Flame’
	botanical name Schlumbergera ‘Christmas Flame’
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10

‘Christmas Flame’ is a unique Christmas cactus variety in mellow gold. Creamy golden yellow petals have orange-red blushes on their edges. As they age, the soft yellow increases as the red tints fade. A prominent magenta pistil punctuates the throat.

‘Christmas Flame’ is a sport of ‘Gold Charm,’ another gold-hued variety. The flowy blooms are like charms on terminal stems. ‘Gold’ has greenish buds, while ‘Flame’ has purple-red buds. 

‘Flame’ begins flowering in mid to late November for weeks of elegant color, with a welcome softness to its showy red and pink relatives. Phylloclades are large with distinctly pointed teeth.

‘Thor Britta’

	common name ‘Thor Britta’
	botanical name Schlumbergera ‘Thor Britta’
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10

Large, flowy petals in crisp white set ‘Thor Britta’ apart. The tissuey petals are slightly translucent with a pale pink mid stripe. Pale green and rose blush the base of the throat and petals. A bright magenta pistil, surrounded by ivory filaments, highlights the center in a striking contrast. Each petal is pointed and broad.

This variety has an upright, semi-pendulous form with sturdy, balanced branching and excellent floral coverage. The flowers almost obscure the medium-sized stem segments, which have three to four points.

‘Thor Britta’ puts on a show beginning in mid-fall. It has a strong performance in its number of buds, bloom size, and well-formed habit.

‘Christmas Charm’

	common name ‘Christmas Charm’
	botanical name Schlumbergera ‘Christmas Charm’
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10

With magenta-purple blossoms, ‘Christmas Charm’ cactus variety brightens the holiday display. The rich, pointed petals join white-throated tubes. With upright branching, the vibrant blooms shine among thick, shapely segments with short dentations.

‘Christmas Charm’ is a strong performer. It has sturdy stems and abundant buds, up to 50 per plant.

‘Lavender Doll II’

	common name ‘Lavender Doll II’
	botanical name Schlumbergera ‘Lavender Doll II’
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10-12

‘Lavender Doll’ ushers in the season with deep lavender and pink inflorescences. Petal edges are rose-purple with lighter lilac and white interiors. The long, satiny blossoms have silvery centers that shine against the violet margins. 

Upright branches pack on the buds, with around 50 per specimen. The color show begins in late November.

‘Christmas Fantasy’

	common name ‘Christmas Fantasy’
	botanical name Schlumbergera ‘Christmas Fantasy’
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10

‘Christmas Fantasy’ is dreamy in peach shades among large, dark green, toothed stem segments. The vigorous grower bears sizeable flowers with plumes of deep and light salmon and pinks. Ivory interiors lend a delicate peaches and cream look.

‘Christmas Fantasy’ adds a lovely touch to the indoor arrangement with a demure appeal. The heavy bloomer maintains a sturdy, well-branched habit.

‘Cristen’

	common name ‘Cristen’
	botanical name Schlumbergera ‘Cristen’
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10

‘Cristen’ is a top-performing cultivar with wide, fully-petaled blooms that cover the greens in late November and early December. Hot pink margins with a pale pink airbrush effect outline bright white interiors. 

‘Cristen’ is well-branched, compact, and upright. Its phylloclades are broad with slight dentations.

Look for ‘Cristen Aurea’ with bright lime stems. New growth emerges in reddish tints, turns golden yellow, and ages to chartreuse. ‘Aurea’ is a sport of the original ‘Cristen’ with painterly margins in magenta lining white centers.

‘Kris Kringle II’

	common name ‘Kris Kringle II’
	botanical name Schlumbergera ‘Kris Kringle II’
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10

“Kris Kringle II’ cheers in a wash of red and white. Crimson and deep orange shades contrast whitish pink centers for a peppermint twist. Broad petals appear fully double with ample lushness.

‘Kris Kringle II’ is an improved, slightly larger version of the original, which bears more crimson shading. This cultivar maintains an upright form with medium “leaves” and spiny points. The late fall display usually starts near December 1st for lasting interest. 

‘Limelight Dancer’

	common name ‘Limelight Dancer’
	botanical name Schlumbergera ‘Limelight Dancer’
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10

‘Limelight Dancer’ is one of a collection of “Dancer” cultivars out of CB Cactus Breeding partnership in the Netherlands. ‘Limelight’ is exquisite in vanilla buttercream with a pronounced bright pink pistil. Sharply pointed petals meet on a white base.

‘Thor Alec’ in golden yellow with rose blushes is one of the parent plants contributing to the antique shades of ‘Limelight Dancer.’ Buds are apricot pink and open from late fall to early winter.

‘Limelight Dancer’ is a good option for the collector. While vigorous, they may be more challenging to grow with temperature-sensitive flowers.